This surf break might be considered a bit obvious, given that surfing lore would generally hold that the best surf break is the one you reach after (single-handedly) hacking your way through the jungle with a machete. Waimea Bay is the antithesis of this; widely considered to be the birthplace of big surfing, it has nurtured legends such as Brock Little and Greg Noll.

But according to Andy Martin, author of Walking on Water, waves are only part of the surfing experience. 'There are bigger breaks, like Jaws, but you have to be towed out to them,' he says. 'Surroundings matter in surfing and Waimea has all those. Surfing isn't meant to take place in the cold and grey. Waimea has palm trees and perfect sand and is volcanic in origin. Above all, it's a quality wave, it's reliable, it's a classic big wave break.'

A Jekyll & Hyde personality means that the waves are mellow enough in summer for children and beginners. In winter, however, the breaks swell to 30ft and become the preserve of experts.

But for Martin, Waimea wins because it holds true to the classic tenets of surfing, by being close enough to the shore to paddle out to and having superior mise en scene. 'Waimea has a culture, a history and an ambience,' he says.